Jamie Lee Curtis's mother distance

Apr 27, 2010, 12:01 GMT

Jamie Lee Curtis had ?no real intimacy? with her mother Janet Leigh.

The 51-year-old actress admits she felt distanced from her famous parent ? best known for her Oscar-nominated role as Marion Crane in 1960 classic ?Psycho? ? because she never showed her any affection, though admits she wasn?t neglected.

She said: ?She took good care of me - my needs were always met and she showed up to everything - but there was no real intimacy.

?I think it was a generational issue as much as one of her own making, for many people my age have expressed a lack of connection with their parents.?

According to Jamie ? whose father is actor Tony Curtis - part of the problem was her mother?s relationship with her body.

She explained to America?s More magazine: ?I think the most complicated relationship my mother had, both loving and often cruel, was with her own body... Like anyone who becomes famous for what they look like, when that commodity starts to change, the relationship with it deteriorates.

"My mother was incredibly proud that she returned to her 20-inch waist mere weeks after pregnancies; she judged other actresses whose bodies grew and softened. I think she was afraid that it would happen to her, too.?

Despite their troubled relationship, Jamie admits she does miss her mother ? who died of an inflammation of the blood vessels in 2004 ? and is often taken by surprise when feelings of loss hit.

She said: ?My mother was the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. There are moments when I remember her beauty, unadorned, unposed, not in some artificial place like a set or a photo call but rather captured outdoors in nature, where she took my breath away. When those moments surface, I miss her the most.?